Playing For The Next Generation

Roger McClendon is the Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance. In his role, he leads the Alliance of international sports and stadium executives, as well as sustainability experts, to use sports as a vehicle to promote healthy, sustainability communities throughout the world.

Prior to joining the Alliance, Roger was the first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer for Yum! Brands, whose holdings include Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC restaurants. He also led the development of Blueline, a sustainable design guide for restaurants built on the LEED certification program. Blueline was a global standard implemented in approximately 5,000 Yum! Brand restaurants globally. Due to his efforts, Yum! Was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in 2017 and 2018, as well as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine.

Roger’s other passion is basketball. He was named a McDonald’s All-American in 1984, on eof the top 25 high school basketball players in the nation and went on to be a four-year starter who closed his University of Cincinnati men’s basketball career as the No. 2 scorer, second only to Oscar Robertson at the time. Roger was inducted into the UC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer & Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

Michael Kraus is a passionate advocate for waste diversion and sustainable events. Prior to Green Sports Alliance, co-founded two sustainability-focused companies that continue to serve partners across the United States. Michael lovingly referred to himself as the Chief Diversion Officer as the co-founder of Food Loops. What started out of a pick-up truck quickly grew to support sustainable events on a national scale. Michael and the Food Loops staff have helped to execute sustainable events with NASCAR, UCI, NCAA March Madness, LPGA, College Football Playoffs, and more.

Because Michael can’t get enough of spending time in dumpsters or with waste diversion, he co-founded another business called Anew Lumber Co, which started to divert lumber waste and resell materials from construction sites. The company has since pivoted into a construction and demolition recycling company.

Michael’s athletic claim to fame is he was on the Lady Razorback practice basketball team where he successfully tried to keep up. He lives in NW Arkansas with his wife Rachel and two kiddos; he loves chess, any sport involving a ball, and this planet.

Matt Adler is the Director of Corporate and Sports Partnerships for the Green Sports Alliance. Matt works closely with our Corporate Member Network and nonprofit partners to vet and promote technology, products, and services that will help our sports members achieve their sustainability goals. Matt also helps to produce our annual summit, along with webinars, symposiums and other GSA events.

Bradley Vogel is the Member Services and Events Senior Manager for the Green Sports Alliance.
In his role, he works closely with all GSA members to ensure they are getting maximum value
from their memberships, ensuring that they all are able to reach their sustainability goals. In
addition, he assists with putting on events like the GSA Summit, and other sporting events that
the GSA is a part of.

Prior to joining the Alliance, Bradley was in charge U.S. Bank Stadium’s sustainability program,
overseeing the development and implementation of the program. Working with events like the
Super Bowl, NCCA Final Four, the X Games, and many other events like NFL games, concerts
and more, Brad’s time at the stadium culminated with a LEED Platinum Certification for
Operations and Maintenance, the first stadium of its kind to receive that distinction.

Brad has a robust background with sports and sustainability supervising waste sort teams at
stadiums like Target Field and Huntington Bank Stadium to leading Green Team volunteers at
MLB and NHL games. Brad took a brief hiatus from the sports world to work for Sustainable
Investment Group, a full service sustainability consulting firm specializing in LEED certifications,
wellness certifications, and engineering services. In this role, Brad became well versed in the
ARC platform, which has now partnered with the GSA to help leagues, venues, and teams
benchmark, track, and improve their utilities usage and waste diversion.

Brad lives in Minneapolis, MN with his wife Lydia and two cats Phoenix and Odin. He is an avid
biker, hiker, camper, gardener, snowboarder and loves checking out local breweries and
distilleries. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from the University of
Minnesota, and a Master of Science Degree in Sustainability Management from the University
of Wisconsin-Stout.

Shay Marie Strawser is the Associate Manager of Communications and Events. In her role, Shay tells the Green Sports Alliance story as we Play for the Next Generation. She manages marketing and public relation efforts, while harnessing partnerships growth.

Shay lives in Philadelphia, PA as climate action leader and community advocate. She is trail runner and basketball player that spends most of her in nature. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility from Temple University.

Elaine is a sustainability consultant and strategist focused on building performance, wellness, equity and resiliency. With over 30 years’ professional experience, including nearly 20 years in the green building industry, Elaine’s approach to facilitating project teams results in long-term client success – whether that means achieving certification, educating staff, or enhancing building performance through various design or operational strategies. She has taught diverse people across many disciplines about LEED, WELL, SITES, GRI, and the integrative process. Elaine earned her BA in Interior Design from California State University, Sacramento; and has received multiple Executive Education certificates through the University of Washington and Harvard University.

Jonathan Balas leads corporate ESG reporting for an ambitious sustainability agenda as Director, Global Sustainability at Yum! Brands, Inc. Working closely with the company’s iconic brands he keeps sustainability relevant, easy and distinctive while driving progress to meet business needs, manage risk, build brand trust and improve restaurant economics. Under his guidance, the company opened 45 LEED certified restaurants across the planet and developed its own internationally adopted playbook for green restaurants which is resulting in thousands of buildings leaving a lighter footprint on the planet while helping the bottom line.

He has had the privilege of serving on Board of Directors for the Louisville Sustainability Council, as board Vice-Chair and Chair of Strategic Planning as well as on the LEED Pilot Library Committee for USGBC and the Sector Advisory Group for SASB.

Prior to joining Yum!, as an architect and LEED accredited professional Jonathan led the development of a wide range of building projects. He holds a Master of Architecture degree, with Certificate in Historic Preservation, from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and History from the University of Vermont.

In his previous role as Arena General Manager, Darryl oversees building operations, guest experiences, food and beverage operations and capital asset planning and management. Prior to joining the Lightning organization, Darryl was the Assistant General Manager for First & Goal, Inc. Here he managed the maintenance and engineering, capital projects, fields, conversions and technical operations for Century Link Field and Event Center and the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

Prior to that he was the Director of Capital Planning and Projects where he was instrumental in the start-up, commissioning, and relocation of the Seahawks to their new home in Renton. Darryl joined First & Goal after working for the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum (EMP|SFM) as the Director of Facilities and Operations.

Darryl worked 16 years for the base operating service contractors at Naval Submarine Base Bangor. Darryl has a B.A in Business Management from the University of Washington and also earned a Certified Facilities Manager designation from IFMA in 2008.

Christy Briggs, Logistics and Sustainability Manager for Lumen Field/Seattle Seahawks. Christy has been at the stadium since 2013 and  has led the sustainability team since 2017. Under her leadership, they have averaged 94% diversion and been awarded the EPA’s Business Partner of the Year in 2019.  She manages the logistics and transitions throughout the stadium’s many events. A Washington native, she is a graduate of Grand Canyon University and is currently pursuing her MBA through the same university.

Carlie Bullock-Jones is the founder and managing Principal of Ecoworks Studio and has dedicated her entire career to bringing about a greener, healthier built environment. As a nationally known expert in the practice of sustainability and wellness consulting, Carlie has facilitated on numerous award-winning projects. With a passion for sports and sustainability, Carlie has spearheaded certification efforts for several stadiums, arenas, and training facilities for the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLS, MLB, and collegiate athletic projects. Carlie has also led the WELL certification achievements for (but not limited to) the 27^th, 37^th and 100^th WELL certified projects in the world (Silver, Gold and Platinum respectively).

As one of the original LEED Faculty mentors for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the first WELL Faculty for the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), Carlie is a highly sought-after speaker and writer for national events and publications. She has been extensively involved in the development of LEED standards over the years, serving as a Subject Matter Expert for USGBC and GBCI, assisting in course curriculum, exam development and reference guide creation. In 2012, Carlie was inducted by USGBC as a LEED Fellow, one of only 77 in the world at that time. In 2014, she was a recipient of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “40 under 40” which highlights business leaders who have made significant career achievements and demonstrated social responsibility. Carlie has also been at the forefront of the healthy building movement and the honored recipient of the 2018 (Inaugural), 2019 and 2020 IWBI WELL Leadership Recognition Award.

Brandon Hamilton was named Kansas City’s Vice President of Stadium Operations and Facilities on May 4, 2017 and is entering his 12th season with the Chiefs in 2021.

In his current role, Hamilton oversees all aspects of stadium systems, stadium maintenance and the stadium grounds for both GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and The University of Kansas Health System Training Complex.

In addition to regular maintenance of facilities and systems, Hamilton has overseen a number of stadium construction and renovation projects over the past few years, including a three‐year seat replacement project, technology upgrades to the end zone scoreboards, suite upgrades and a complete
Team Store remodel. Prior to the 2021 season, Hamilton has been managing the complete reimagination of the Chiefs Hall of Honor in the stadium’s lower level concourse, as well as the renovation of the club’s home locker room complex at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

With the coronavirus pandemic forcing the adoption of new COVID‐19 protocols across the National Football League, Hamilton was appointed as a member of the club’s Stadium Emergency Response Team, serving as the stadium’s Infection Control Officer in 2020. His team was a critical component in the successful relocation of training camp to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and The University of Kansas Health System Training Complex due to NFL coronavirus policies.

In addition, Hamilton and the stadium operations staff were heavily involved in planning for the return of staff and fans to the venue, including the ordering and maintaining of cleaning products, equipment and PPE, as well as enhanced cleaning and sanitization plans for both the stadium and practice facility. Under his guidance, both the stadium and the practice facility achieved GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council after demonstrating the proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques and work practices to combat biohazards and infectious disease.

Prior to being named Vice President of Stadium Operations and Facilities, Hamilton served as the club’s Director of Facilities for seven seasons (2010‐16). As the Director of Facilities, he was responsible for facility management of both the stadium and the club’s practice facility and office complex.

Hamilton also directs the club’s Extra Yard for the Environment program; a sustainability initiative designed to devise and implement new environmentally friendly policies. The program currently focuses on waste diversion, energy efficiency and recycling at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, The University of Kansas Health System Training Complex and encourages fans to examine their sustainability efforts at home. Hamilton continues to work with national supply chain members to transform back‐of‐the‐house concession waste into compostable products that can be diverted.

Prior to joining the Chiefs in 2010, Hamilton served as Program Manager at The Konrath Group. During his time there he worked on the Arrowhead Stadium renovation that took place between 2007‐ 10. Before that he spent a decade working in residential construction as a builder and superintendent.

Brandon Igdalsky, grandson of Pocono Raceway founders Dr. Joseph and Dr. Rose Mattioli, was named President of Pocono Raceway in July of 2007. In August 2011, Dr. Mattioli retired from the CEO position and named his eldest grandson President & CEO of Pocono Raceway. In August 2017, Igdalsky was named Managing Director, Event Marketing & Promotion at NASCAR and is based in Daytona Beach, FL.  In the new role, Igdalsky oversees the at-track experience throughout NASCAR’s 3 national touring series’; the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Dune leads the award-winning Lonely Whale, an incubator for courageous ideas that drive impactful, market-based change on behalf of our ocean. Under Dune’s leadership, efforts by Lonely Whale to reduce ocean-bound plastic have earned recognition from the Effy, Shorty, ADDY Awards, Fast Company, and Huffington Post. Dune previously designed and oversaw Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Philanthropy, co-founded The Green Sports Alliance, and was chosen as one of four “Environmental Champions of 2017” by InsideHook. Dune has been featured on CBS, Fast Company, NPR, CNN, The Guardian, and Washington Post.

Scott Jenkins is currently the EVP Strategic Partnerships at PLANLED Inc.

Scott joined AMB Sports & Entertainment Group in February 2014 to provide insight into the planning and construction of the new Atlanta Stadium leading up to its opening in 2017, after which he will manage the operations of the stadium. Jenkins comes to the Atlanta Falcons from the Seattle Mariners, where he spent the past seven-and-a-half years as vice president of ballpark operations and was responsible for overseeing all aspects of operating and managing Safeco Field.

Prior to joining the Mariners, Jenkins spent three years with the Philadelphia Eagles where he opened and managed Lincoln Financial Field. Scott has served as V.P. of Stadium Operations for the Milwaukee Brewers and Director of Facilities and Events for Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Wisconsin.

As Director of Engineering for the Golden State Warriors, Ian is responsible for all day-to-day operations of the Engineering department which includes the management of building repairs and maintenance. He is also responsible for the project management of capital improvement projects at Chase Center Arena.

Prior to joining the Golden State Warriors, Ian spent three years overseeing the development and construction of the Chase Center Arena with a focus on the commissioning of its MEPFP systems and state/local AHJ compliance. Ian holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida and is a LEED Green Associate

Aileen McManamon is the Founder and Managing Partner of 5T Sports Group, a global sports management firm and certified B Corp. 5T focuses on futureproofing the sports industry by aligning team and league revenue models to the environmental, social and economic realities of today. 5T also works with global brands bringing their environmental and social responsibility messaging forward through their sports partnerships campaigns and activations.

Aileen began her career in the European auto industry as brand steward for FIAT and Alfa Romeo, setting the wheels in motion for crafting marketing strategy and top-performing partnerships between Fortune 500 brands and sports properties. She then took a tight turn into technology, heading up an investment arm of Canada’s National Research Council, where she focused on clean tech, information technologies and other innovations driving Smart City solutions. Aileen has parlayed this experience into future-proofing the sports industry, working with the Olympic Games, FIFA Women’s World Cup, MLB, MLS, MiLB, English Premier League, Tour de France and the NFL, and brands such as Microsoft, EA Games, Hewlett-Packard and Mercedes-Benz.

Aileen is passionate about leveraging sports for sustainable development and was recognized by the UN Global Compact Network (Canada) for 5T’s leadership in championing the UN Global Goals. She is also among the eight authors of the UN’s Sport for Climate Action Initiative launched at COP24. Ms. McManamon frequently guest lectures on sports and sustainability at UCLA, Temple University, University of Iowa, DePaul, University of Central Florida, Simon Fraser University and serves as adjunct faculty at Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio) . She is a native of Cleveland, Ohio; a diehard Indians, Browns and Cavs fan and lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and 2 sons. She can frequently be found on the ball diamond, the ski slope or her road bike.

Robert (Bob) Nutting serves as Chairman of the Board of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bob assumed control of the club in 2007, thus becoming the sixth principal owner in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has served as Chairman of the Board and represented his family’s interest in the club since 2003. Throughout his ownership, Nutting has continued the consistent focus of improving the Pirates entire operation. He has led the effort to completely overhaul the team’s facilities, leadership team and organizational approach. As a result, the Pirates organization is stronger than it has been in 20 years. The Pirates have been the most aggressive team in Major League Baseball in investing and acquiring talent through the Amateur Draft under Nutting’s leadership. In addition, the Pirates have also significantly increased their focus on infusing their system with top international talent. As a result, the Pirates Minor League system is now ranked in the top five to eight in all of baseball.

Nutting’s family roots in the greater Pittsburgh region date back as long as the Pirates 126-year history. His dedication to giving back to the community in every aspect of his life has brought a newfound philanthropic commitment to the organization. Nutting has led Pirates Charities, the Club’s official philanthropic arm, in making an even deeper positive impact in the community by being actively engaged in a number of community projects. This engagement has been critical in the construction of five Miracle League fields, the building of the Pirates Community Baseball Center and the continued widespread impact of the Fields for Kids program that assists in improvements to youth baseball and softball fields throughout the region.

As an award-winning creative director and copywriter, Robin has contributed to some of the world’s best-known brands for more than three decades. Today, Robin leads Citizen Group, building ‘citizen brands’ and developing purpose-driven campaigns and pro-social initiatives for clients such as Amnesty International, Arm Technologies, AT&T, Cisco WebEx, City of San Francisco, City of Phoenix, Driscoll’s Berries,McKesson/Health Mart, Major League Baseball, Pabst Brewing, NRDC, USA Network/NBC Universal, United Nations, University of California, Wal-Mart (sustainability initiative), and WWF Climate Savers.

Over the past decade, Robin has been a leader in using the power of media to advance sustainability goals for companies, organizations, and their stakeholders. In addition to working as brand advisor and creative director for the Sustainable Brands conference since 2006, Robin’s work has helped give rise to the Green Sports movement through his defining work with NRDC, the Green Sports Alliance, Major League Baseball, NHL, NBA, and the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2016, he led the development of the ‘Play Your Part’ campaign on behalf of the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee.

Robin past credits include the “Imagine” and “Instant Karma” campaigns for Amnesty International, based on the songs of John Lennon, which ran in more than 65 countries, and his work at Chiat/Day in the 1980s, where he created the NYNEX Yellow Pages “Human Cartoons” campaign, voted one of Adweek’s 25 Greatest Ad Campaigns. Robin previously co-founded Collaborate, where he led the development of integrated campaigns for Gore-Tex, Logitech, Rock the Vote, Sierra Club, and Seagate, and before that, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, General Motors, Guinness Brewing Company, Mastercard, PBS, and Virgin Records. He began his career at Hal Riney & Partners and Foote Cone Belding/SF, creating campaigns for AT&T, Blitz-Weinhard Brewery, Levi’s, Coors, Gallo, and VISA.  In 1990, Robin was named to AdWeek’s Creative All-Stars list. He currently serves as a member of the University of California Climate Change Working Group.

Jill Savery is a 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist, 8-time World Champion, and an International Swimming Hall of Fame Inductee in the sport of synchronized swimming. Jill is a sustainability advisor, consultant, author, public speaker, and graduate school instructor on corporate social responsibility. Her experience includes work with 11th Hour Racing, 34th America’s Cup, Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 (Olympic Games), Super Bowl 50 Host Committee, and bid teams for the England 2018 FIFA World Cup and the Chicago 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Jill earned her Master’s in Environmental Management from Yale University, and Bachelor’s from UC Berkeley.

Jason is the co-founder and founding chair of the Green Sports Alliance.  With a career spanning over 20 years in urban development, Jason has been at the forefront of built environment transformation. His career experience includes delivery of sustainable mixed-income housing projects throughout New York City, delivery of Vulcan Inc.’s South Lake Union Innovation District in Seattle, Washington and serving as Head of Sustainability and Innovation for Lendlease Property, Australia.

Jason is founder and Director of Urban Apostles, a start-up real estate development and consulting services business specialising in regenerative development and alternative housing models for cities. Its work focuses on the intersection of the sharing economy and art of city making.

In 2016, Jason was appointed as an Innovation Fellow and Senior Lecturer within the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building at the University of Technology Sydney and leads research into regenerative urbanism, housing affordability, and property economics.

He is also a co-founder the International Living Future Institute and a global advocate for Living Buildings and Communities. In 2018, Jason founded and launched the City Makers’ Guild, an education, advocacy and research group promoting more equitable and inclusive cities.

Jason was designated a LEED Fellow by the United States Green Building Council in 2014, was named a 2015 and 2017 Next City Global Urban Vanguard and is an appointed Champion and advisor to Nightingale Housing in Australia.

Jackie Ventura is currently the Sr. Director, Sustainability, Facility Health & Hygiene for the Golden State Warriors/Chase Center.

Jackie joined The Heat Group at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL in 2001 and in her last role, she monitored and tracked all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the Engineering and Operations departments including utility forecasting/tracking, labor distribution and building work orders as well as projecting and reconciling our multi-million dollar operating budget. In addition, she was the liaison for all vendors and contractors conducting business with the Engineering and Operations departments at the AA Arena.

In 2008 Jackie was approached to evaluate the NBA league-wide suggestions for viable sustainability initiatives for the AA Arena and she determined that the facility would satisfy all of the requirements for LEED Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance certification. Given her history and role in the department, Jackie was able to easily manage and administer the LEED certification completely in-house and within six months from project registration to certification award only employing the assistance of key staff members and vendors as needed. This earned the Arena the distinction of being the first NBA facility to earn LEED certification in April 2009. Since earning the certification, Jackie has also been charged with reviewing and recommending sustainability efforts for the facility as well as formalizing sustainability policies.

Cyrus Wadia is the new Head of Sustainable Product at Amazon. He was the former Vice President, Sustainable Business & Innovation for Nike, where he led the company’s global sustainability strategy. Prior to joining Nike, Cyrus spent over five years directing clean energy and materials policy within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He also served as the Co-Director of Cleantech to Market – a dual appointment with the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, and spent more than seven years in Silicon Valley as a tech entrepreneur. Cyrus holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and M.S. and S.B. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Jamie oversees all aspects of administrative operations for the Pac-12, including television administration, sport management, championships, football bowl relationships, governance, enforcement, compliance and officiating. In addition, he also serves as the sport administrator for Pac-12 men’s basketball. Jamie joined the Pac-12 in 2014 after six years as commissioner of the West Coast Conference where he led the conference through a period of unprecedented growth and transformation. He has also served as a sports administrator at both Stanford and Princeton University. A native of Eugene, Oregon, Zaninovich is a graduate of Stanford and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.